Reinhardt College will celebrate Alumni Day on Oct. 3 with hopes that many of its graduates will attend.

The Waleska college has more than 12,000 alumni, 1,804 of whom lives in Cherokee County.

"The purpose of Alumni Day is to set aside a day to celebrate those who have been a part of Reinhardt College," said Jennifer Wiggins, director of alumni. "It's a day for classmates and friends to reminiscence about the wonderful memories of Reinhardt College and to reconnect and share with each other where they are in their lives today.

Ms. Wiggins said it's also a day for alumni to see improvements being made on campus, noting the Burgess Arboretum will be formally introduced as part of the event.

Alumni Day begins with check-in and registration from 10 to 11 a.m. in the Hoke O'Kelley Auditorium.

The first event of the day is the Burgess Arboretum Grand Opening Ceremony at 10 a.m. An American Chestnut Tree will be dedicated at 10:30 a.m. in honor of longtime Reinhardt Trustee Randall O. Porter.; At 11 a.m., attendees can take part in the planting of a tree in the arboretum's Most Noble Trees and Shrubs Walk to signify the 126-year anniversary of the college. Plant Walk tours will begin at 11:15 a.m. and will be led by Horticulturist Zach White. Attendees for the arboretum events will be entered into a drawing to win one of 25 Japanese maple seedlings.

A fall festival from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. outside the Brown Athletic Center offers carnival games, activities including wax hands and make-your-own DVD and inflatables. During the festival, alumni can also have their photo made for the Reinhardt Family Tree photo collage. A Varsity lunch will be served at noon, and is free for alumni, students, parents, faculty and staff. The Lady Eagles soccer team will play at 1 p.m. on the soccer fields behind the athletic center.

The Burgess Era Alumni Reunion for Classes from 1946 through 1973 is at 4 p.m. in the Bannister Glasshouse of the Hasty Student Life Center.

At 5:30 p.m., a distinguished alumnus and the recipient of the 2009 Alumni Loyalty Award will be honored at the Alumni Awards Dinner in the Fincher Visual Arts Center. Tickets for the dinner are $10 per person at the door.

The day ends with a Student Talent Show at 7 p.m. in the Falany Performing Arts Center, featuring the college's singers, dancers and musicians.

The college is at 7300 Reinhardt College Cir. For information, call Ms. Wiggins at (770) 720-5509 or e-mail JAM@reinhardt.edu